Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Isfahan and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Isfahan: $470 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Isfahan
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Isfahan Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Isfahan

🇮🇷 Iran

$470

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Isfahan and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Isfahan and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $470 per month in Isfahan vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Isfahan $470
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $802 per month in Isfahan vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Isfahan $802
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $1,134 per month in Isfahan vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Isfahan $1,134
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Isfahan is about 61% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Isfahan and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Isfahan 65% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 $3.07

$10.76 MX$199

-71.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.72 $12.72

$43.03 MX$795

-70.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.01 $3.01

$11.79 MX$218

-74.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.76 $0.76

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

Cappuccino

$1.01 $1.01

$3.87 MX$71.4

-73.90%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 $0.49

$1.37 MX$25.29

-64.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.84 MX$15.44

-42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

Milk (1 liter)

$0.48 $0.48

$1.44 MX$26.55

-66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 $0.46

$2.23 MX$41.23

-79.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.47 MX$27.17

34.01%

Eggs

$1.51 $1.51

$2.53 MX$46.71

-40.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$7.30 MX$135

-62.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$7.86 MX$145

-69.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.57 $10.57

$12.79 MX$236

-17.36%

Apples (1kg)

$0.76 $0.76

$2.90 MX$53.6

-73.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.44 MX$26.53

-11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.55 MX$47.07

-58.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 $0.61

$2.06 MX$38.03

-70.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 $0.61

$2.00 MX$36.97

-69.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 $0.49

$2.01 MX$37.07

-75.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 $0.59

$1.19 MX$22.02

-50.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.21 $0.21

$1.26 MX$23.23

-83.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.52 $0.52

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 $0.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 $0.83

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.07 $2.07

$4.40 MX$81.4

-52.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.57 MX$10.47

-49.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.52 $12.52

$27.82 MX$514

-55.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 $0.51

$4.98 MX$92.1

-89.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 $0.31

$3.50 MX$64.6

-91.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 $2.04

$5.40 MX$99.8

-62.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.47 MX$27.08

-37.41%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$67.9K $67.9K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

223.34%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$58.5K $58.5K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

144.71%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$10.26 $10.26

$84.2 MX$1,556

-87.82%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$1.99 $1.99

$23.99 MX$443

-91.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.48 $7.48

$29.02 MX$536

-74.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.64 $13.64

$63.0 MX$1,164

-78.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.19 $13.19

$29.14 MX$539

-54.74%

Cinema Ticket

$1.02 $1.02

$4.94 MX$91.3

-79.35%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$72.2 $72.2

$204 MX$3,763

-64.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$533 $533

$3,941 MX$72.8K

-86.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.62 $18.62

$43.60 MX$806

-57.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.77 $23.77

$43.12 MX$797

-44.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 $86.2

$75.8 MX$1,400

13.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.85 $37.85

$88.6 MX$1,637

-57.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$289 $289

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-71.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 $192

$374 MX$6,911

-48.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 $1,311

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-23.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 $454

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-58.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,176 $1,176

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-70.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$736 $736

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-88.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$203 $203

$754 MX$13.9K

-73.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

26.8

11.45

134.06%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Isfahan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Isfahan

$192 41%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 94.4% $182

Groceries & Markets

Isfahan

$102 21.7%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 154% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Isfahan

$75 15.9%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 50.9% $38

Eating Out

Isfahan

$50 10.6%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 308% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Isfahan

$20 4.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 595% $117

Getting Around

Isfahan

$16 3.4%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 234% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Isfahan

$16 3.3%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 364% $57

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $289 in Isfahan versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 271% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Isfahan versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $102 vs $258 – making Isfahan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Isfahan

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

09:12 9:12 AM

00:42 12:42 AM

8 h 30 min behind Isfahan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,961,260

149,923

💱 Currency

USD USD

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Isfahan Playa del Carmen 12,640 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Isfahan
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Isfahan vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 158% more than Isfahan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $705 per month in Isfahan and $1,816 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Isfahan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Isfahan and $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $470 in Isfahan and $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 158%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Isfahan, where all-in costs run around $470, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Isfahan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Isfahan costs $470 versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Isfahan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.